With the proliferation of new and different types of medicines to be taken by patients at definite different prescribed times, the need for taking the correct medicine at the correct time, in many cases, has become just as important as the medicine itself. The dispensing method disclosed in my prior U.S. patents, identified above, has fulfilled the need in providing programmed dispensing of medicines that can be used by the patient without supervision from a physician or nurse. According to this method, medicines are prearranged in a portable, easy to use, dispenser according to the time in which the medicines should be taken as prescribed by a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
The present invention improves the method and structure by which the medicines are charged into the dispenser and stored there in a highly efficient and sanitary manner. To this end, the present invention provides improved dispenser structure and methods by which medicines can be inserted and stored in a dispenser in an organized, programmed manner which is highly sanitary as well as efficient.
Included herein is the provision of an improved medicine dispenser case and associated tray received therein which can be utilized to dispense medicine in accordance with the latter objects as well as the methods disclosed, for example, in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,559, identified above.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable tray insert which can be filled by a doctor or pharmacist with the prescribed dosage in prearranged positions to be taken by a patient according to the precise prescribed times, and which insert can be easily placed into a dispenser case by the patient and used until exhausted of its medicine contents at which time the insert can be discarded and replaced by another insert containing the proper dosage for the next weekly period or another suitable period.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a tray insert whose medicine contents are sealed for sanitary purposes prior to insertion into an associated dispenser case. Included herein is such a tray insert that is automatically unsealed or opened for dispensing its contents, upon placement of the tray insert into the associated dispenser case.